Interview with BlueDog on rediscovering Diplomacy

The guys interview BlueDog, an old school Diplomacy player who got back into the game after many decades. Plus Diplomacy chat, entering the Australian Podcast Awards and more drinking.

Intro

• The guys introduce the show and an ongoing apology for the break in episodes. Before they go onto discuss what Kaner's reading, the venue and their drinks (0 mins 15 secs)

Interview with BlueDog

• The start discussing the interview today with BlueDog, an ally of Amby's in a WWIV sealanes game. Amby talks a little about Rulebook press (9 mins 30 secs)
• BlueDog discusses how he got started playing Diplomacy in the 1970's and only got back into it this year (2022 at time of recording) (14 mins 30 secs)
• They discuss having the parent-child dynamic changed (17 mins 30 secs)
• BlueDog discuss how his father, a World War 2 veteran and uncle got into the game (19 mins 30 secs)
• He goes onto discuss his experience with the online Diplomacy sites and his thoughts pre-internet about the game opportunities he envisaged (22 mins)
• BlueDog discusses how he got back into the game listening to the When Diplomacy Fails interview with Zack Twamley (this is also on Zack's feed.) He goes onto discuss how he'd forgotten some of the basics when coming back into the game (25 mins)
• They discuss playing against the bots at webDip (28 mins)
• BlueDog talks about playing large variant games (Divided States, Europa Renovatio) and liking players even though they eat up your SC's (31 mins)
• BlueDog and Amby discuss their game (BlueDog as Australia, Amby as South Africa). BlueDog gives lots of good advice for players (38 mins)
• They start discussing the end game (49 mins)
• BlueDog travels a lot internationally for his job. Amby asks how that impacts on his ability to play the game (52 mins)
• Amby asks about whether BlueDog would get back into playing face to face Diplomacy (55 mins)
• BlueDog asks about the demographics for who plays the game and the type of people they are (56 mins)
• They guys wrap up the interview and return to discuss their thoughts on the game (1 hr 0 mins 45 secs)

Diplomacy talk

• Amby gives a shout out to the first WDC for the first time since COVID at Carnage in Vermont. Amby gives an update on WDC 2023 in Thailand and that's still looking good (1 hr 4 mins 45 secs)
• Amby presents a Thailand Diplomacy challenge to Kaner (1 hr 11 mins 30 secs)
• Because Amby has been sick for a while he hasn't organised a face to face game in Brisbane. They discuss plugging into university board game clubs to get some Diplomacy games going (1 hr 13 mins)
• Amby is looking at putting in an entry to the 2022 Australian Podcast Awards. Kaner asks what category they should enter (1 hr 15 mins 30 secs)
• The guys grab some more drinks, Amby changes to wine and they order some Peruvian loaded fries (1 hr 22 mins)
• Amby has been playing with AI image generators like Craiyon, and starts talking about some of the AI generated images can be created based on Diplomacy game themes (1 hr 23 mins 45 secs)

Around the grounds

• The guys move onto discuss one of the Europa Renovatio games he's signed up for, and accuses Amby of being a CD stalker. They go onto discuss how different countries tend to go on this map (1 hr 34 mins 30 secs)
• They talk about favourite variants on vDip. Amby mentions Baron von Powell's College of Cardinals variant. They also discuss favourite variant rule changes (1 hr 41 mins)
• The guys wrap up the show (1 hr 51 mins)

Venue: Mongrel, Brisbane

Drinks of choice:

Kaner: Rad Ale, Seeker Brewery in Wooloongong in New South Wales

Amby: Hop, Skip & Jump Indian Pale Ale, Aether Brewery in Brisbane and Tscharke Shiraz from the Barossa Valley in South Australia

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Thanks as always to Dr Dan aka "The General" for his rockin' intro tune.